India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar backed senior batter KL Rahul to regain his form during the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh. KL Rahul aims to return to form in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh after a lackluster performance in Chennai. India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is hopeful that KL Rahul’s Test career will have a turnaround under coach Gautam Gambhir, and he will return to form in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh.
After a seven-month break, KL Rahul’s return in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai was underwhelming, with scores of 16 and an unbeaten 22. Despite his struggles, KL Rahul remains a key part of India’s plans, but questions have been raised about his batting approach in the longer format.
KL Rahul’s test career and recent performances under Gautam Gambhir
India head coach Gautam Gambhir spent a lot of time with KL Rahul, trying to free the batter before the second Test against Bangladesh. India head coach Gautam Gambhir has had a discussion with KL Rahul, and a big score from his bat is not far off, according to assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
Since his Test debut in 2014, KL Rahul has featured in 51 matches, scoring 2,901 runs at an average of 34.12. His role as an opener has seen him amass 2,551 runs in 75 innings, with seven centuries and 12 fifties, but his performance across other positions has been inconsistent. At No.3, he has managed just 88 runs in five innings at an average of 17.60, while at No.4, he has scored 108 runs across two innings at a healthy average of 54. In six innings at No.6, he has added 154 runs to his tally.
Seen as the next captain of Team India in all formats, even three years ago, KL Rahul now has lost his place in the T20I squad and is under constant pressure to hold on to his place in the ODI and Test XIs. One of the major reasons behind this is his inconsistency. Despite having all the arsenal to turn into a modern-day great, KL Rahul has not established himself in the Test side. In 51 matches, he has scored 2901 runs, averaging 34.12.
KL Rahul has some memorable knocks in Australia, England and South Africa, some of the most difficult places to get runs runs for a subcontinent batter but somehow, he hasn’t quite managed to drive home the momentum. Even in the first Test against Bangladesh, KL Rahul was guilty of putting too much pressure on himself. Nayar said it is about giving direction.
KL Rahul and Gambhir have worked together at the Lucknow Super Giants, where the former is still the captain and the latter was the mentor for two seasons. If the former India opener somehow frees Rahul, a different version of him could be unleashed.
Before the Bangladesh series, KL Rahul played a single Duleep Trophy match for India A, where his 111-ball 37 was criticized for being too defensive and failing to capitalize on key moments. However, he showed resilience in the second innings with a gritty 57 off 121 balls, anchoring the innings during a collapse, though India A ultimately lost to India B.
Indian Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar who has mentored several Indian players during their challenging phases, believes that KL Rahul would be soon back to his normal batting form come future days in test cricket.
Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar opens up on the positives in KL Rahul ahead of 2nd test
India men’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar is hopeful that he and head coach Gautam Gambhir can bring about a turnaround in KL Rahul’s batting form in the coming weeks. He said KL Rahul is finding his feet after a long time away from red-ball cricket and only needs some direction to get back to his best.
Once a sure shot for India across formats, KL Rahul is fighting for his place in the national set-up after months of underwhelming outings, including in the IPL. His highest score in the last 10 innings (which comprise the IPL, ODIs against Sri Lanka, the Duleep Trophy and the ongoing Bangladesh Tests) is 57.
“I think when you are playing for India, inspiration is not something you need,” Nayar told media on the eve of the second Test in Kanpur. “Sometimes, it’s just direction. I feel KL is… having spent a little time with him in the last few days, I think he is someone who understands his game very well.”
Nayar also agreed to not read too much into the Lucknow Super Giants captain’s stats, saying:
“There are times when a player is finding his feet. I feel in South Africa, Rahul played some tremendous knocks for India. We are very hopeful that with the combination of Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and myself, we can bring about a turnaround for him.”
KL Rahul looked quite comfortable at the crease for his 16 in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh before edging a flick to short-leg against Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s left-arm spin. In the next innings, India declared when he was at 22.
“Rahul’s second innings approach was promising” – Abhishek Nayar
As India had extended the lead by 400 when KL Rahul came to bat, the right-hander could play freely and hit four boundaries in 19 balls. Nayar saw that as a positive and expressed confidence that he’ll soon stand true to expectations.
“The way he batted in the second innings of the last game showed what we’re looking for. Even though we didn’t give him much of a chance in the second innings, his approach was promising,” the assistant coach noted. “I’m confident that going forward, the expectations from him will align with his performances.”
India and Bangladesh will face each other in the second Test of the series in Kanpur from Friday at 9:30 am IST.